Bits and Pieces of a Life Together and Apart
by Mary B. Wolf
Summary: Concerning Zuko and Katara and everyone in between, the way they interact, and sometimes the way they don't. 50 Themes from a LiveJournal community.


I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or these themes. They came from a LiveJournal community._

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01 – Comfort

Zuko is the last person Katara ever thought she would take comfort from, but he quite happily lets the Waterbender soak his shirt with tears.

_02 – Kiss_

Her lips are blue – he's found her frozen in some remote outpost in the North Pole – during their first kiss.

_03 – Soft_

The hands she lays on his chest to heal him after Azula's lightning bolt aren't soft anymore – she gave up the seaweed lotion after Master Pakku delivered an hour and a half lecture about a warrior's hands.

_04 – Pain_

He makes up for all the pain he caused her a hundred-fold.

_05 – Potatoes_

Zuko backed away from the strange root vegetable Katara was waving around, saying, "I've had those before – they taste… strange."

_06 – Rain_

Katara kept them dry, bending the rain away; Zuko kept them warm by keeping her folded in his arms.

_07 – Chocolate_

"Aang, you're in middle school," Zuko said, like it was big news; "How do you know you need to get a girl chocolate when you mess up?"

_08 – Happiness_

"I'm willing to give you up for your own happiness, Katara," Aang whispers, voice breaking, eyes watering, "but only for yours, so be sure Zuko is what will make you happiest."

_09 – Telephone_

_I hate phone tag,_ she thinks when his answering machine picks up for the sixth time in four days.

_10 – Ears_

Her ears tingle and miss his warm breath in the tiny second between when his lips have moved away from whispering what he wants to do to her and his mouth lowering to do it.

_11 – Name_

"Well, whatever we name the baby, it isn't going to be after _your_ relatives, Zuko; they were all crazy, with the exception of your mother… and your uncle."

_12 – Sensual_

Katara has never, ever looked more beautiful or sensual or beguiling than in the traditional wedding garb of the Southern Water Tribe as she practically _dances_ to the altar on their wedding day.

_13 – Death_

_Aang, _she whispers, in the darkness, _we were going to name the boy after you, I'm so sorry you never got to meet your nephew and niece._

_14 – Sex_

His face turns red when she teases him about being a virgin despite his age and rank – "Excuse me for being focused on a mission!"

_15 – Touch_

Katara touched his life so thoroughly that he can't help seeing her when he should be seeing Mai.

_16 – Weakness_

Mai mercilessly exploits her every weakness during their spars, and Katara doesn't blame her – why would you show kindness to the woman who has the man you love?

_17 – Tears_

The blue-eyed Waterbender daughters and the amber-eyed Firebender sons cry at their Aunt Mai's funeral.

_18 – Speed_

"Well that was over quickly."

_19 – Wind_

He teaches their children how to play with his favorite old toys – "See this little knob here – yes, there – wind it up and then let it go and watch it march."

_20 – Freedom_

Azula has finally lost her grip on sanity; Ozai's power has been stripped away; the world has been freed from the burden of Fire Nation royalty's madness; Mai has forgiven him; and yet Zuko feels more trapped than ever, except when Katara is around.

_21 – Life_

He stares at her, amazed; how can there be a tiny little life growing inside of her?

_22 – Jealousy_

He envies Aang for holding the love of one of the most extraordinary women he's ever met.

_23 – Hands_

Mai notices how often their hands touch when they think she isn't looking.

_24 – Taste_

She redecorates the entire palace with a great deal of taste.

_25 – Devotion_

He devotes himself wholly and utterly to his wife, Mai – but only because Katara made him promise he would.

_26 – Forever_

"Zuko, you swore your forever to Mai; I'm not going to stab my friend in the back, even if I could bring myself to hurt Aang that way."

_27 – Blood_

They kill her with poison – subtle and sneaky – and there is no blood anywhere to indicate that she died honorably, fighting, though he knows she didn't give in until her final breath; Zuko swears he'll find who did this to Katara and make them pay with the blood they didn't give her the chance to shed.

_28 – Sickness_

"Katara, don't think I don't hear you running for the bathroom first thing every morning – and don't blame me for not being able to keep my hands to myself; you shouldn't have set out deliberately to seduce the Fire Lord."

_29 – Melody_

They only sing well when they're singing together.

_30 – Star_

Suki looks at Katara and makes a noise of disgust when her boyfriend's sister's expression goes dreamy and she says that Zuko named a star after her; "Katara, this is only high school, other people might come along."

_31 – Home_

It never mattered where they were; Katara's home was always in Zuko's arms.

_32 – Confusion_

"Hey, Snoozles, what's up with Sparky and Sugar Queen – they're giving off really weird vibrations."

_33 – Fear_

Zuko never felt more fear than when Katara's face turned stormy and she turned on him after he laughed because he found out her worst fear was spider-gnats.

_34 – Lightning/Thunder_

She was never afraid of storms, but she liked to make like she was – it made Zuko hold her even tighter.

_35 – Bonds_

The Firebender and the Waterbender aim for a platonic bond, but can't seem to ignore the deeper threads that weave them together.

_36 – Market_

The royal pair beat the rumors to the market, startling more than one gossip by strolling through the place holding hands.

_37 – Technology_

He tells her through a text message one day, "If it weren't for all this damned technology, we'd never talk, but I miss your voice and I want to see your pretty face soon."

_38 – Gift_

Zuko wants to tell her that her love is gift enough, but it sounds _so cheesy_ even to him.

_39 – Smile_

Katara's smile at Zuko and Mai's wedding was the tiniest bit bitter; she couldn't help it, she had hoped that someday he would look at her and _see_.

_40 – Innocence_

Fire Lord Zuko and his wife and queen, the Lady Katara of the Southern Water Tribe and Bloodbender, strive to restore the innocence of the Fire Nation in the eyes of the rest of the world.

_41 – Completion_

Iroh once compared Zuko and Katara to a cup and saucer – they functioned when they were apart, but they worked best together.

_42 – Clouds_

"You two need to get your heads out of the clouds!" Sokka shouted at his sister and Zuko.

_43 – Sky_

He is falling through the clouds and Appa is suddenly there and Katara is reaching out a hand to the sky and his fingers fit so well in hers as he lands beside her in the saddle.

_44 – Heaven_

His heaven is brown hair and brown skin and blue eyes and a kind smile and a warrior's strength of heart and a thousand other things, wrapped around him and beside him and _in_side him, and her name is Katara.

_45 – Hell_

Her hell is black hair and amber eyes and _madness_ and fury that cannot be shaped into flame anymore because a bald-headed child-monk savior took away his spark, and he is sealed away behind iron bars in a prison on the outskirts of the city – but he is never forgotten.

_46 – Sun_

There are days when Zuko swears the sun rises and sets at Katara's whims.

_47 – Moon_

His favorite time to spar with her is when the moon is full – she is at her strongest then, and he loves the way this pushes him to push his limits.

_48 – Waves_

Wave after wave of decommissioned soldiers flooded the entire world at the end of the war – and the Fire Lord and Lady had to find something to _do_ with this sudden influx of unemployed men and women, or their economy would collapse.

_49 – Hair_

Katara hates that his hair is more manageable than hers, even on its worst days.

_50 – Supernova_

"Toph, stop that – Zuko is an _astronomy student_ and he wants to borrow my telescope to watch the supernova – " and Toph cuts her off with a knowing smirk and "Telescope, huh, is that what you kids are calling it these days?"

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Obviously, some are AU, some involve Aang maturing, some are post-finale, and some are set during the show.

My favorites are _Hands, Blood, Innocence, Sky, Heaven, __Hell_ and _Hair__._ Let me know if you liked any! Thank you for reading.


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